STRENGTH AND SECURITY

Safeguard your investments with these free downloads

Our free security product downloads will help ensure the safety of your account and personal information, and financial assets.

GOAL: FIX VULNERABILITIES ON YOUR COMPUTER
SOLUTION: TRENDMICROTM HOUSECALL

One-time scan of your computer for viruses, spyware, and other malware. Free scan

GOAL: MONITOR YOUR COMPUTER
SOLUTION: SYMANTEC SECURITY CHECK

Automatically scans your computer every week. Free scan

MODULE-ICON-SECURITY REPORT A SECURITY ISSUE

If you think you’ve been a victim of identity theft or received a suspicious email that appears to have come from us, tell us here. Report a security issueReport a phishing email (support@amidfinancialcenter.com)

To report lost or stolen checks or debit cards, call +44 2036959566,

Processes that keep your investments safe

Our security procedures have been carefully designed, tested, and implemented to ensure the safety of your account and personal information, and financial assets.

OUR POLICIES

  • We will never send you an email requesting your account number, UserID, PIN, password, or other personal information.
  • We require clients to create unique UserIDs and alphanumeric passwords to log on to the secure Web site.
  • We ask you to select four security questions to answer, to be presented to you when it seems an extra check of your identity is warranted, creating an extra layer of security for your account.
  • Internally, access to client information is limited by a well-established computer security, Our employees are thoroughly trained in our policies and how to uphold them.
  • If we detect suspicious activity in your account, we’ll block access to it until you call us. We do this to validate that the account activity was intended by you, and to protect you in case it was not.

Helping reduce the risk of unauthorized account activity

You can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim by taking a layered approach to online safety by using firewalls, antivirus, anti-spyware, and anti-spam software.

FIREWALLS

A firewall controls how information moves between a computer and a network to help ensure that only legitimate traffic takes place. A firewall also disguises and hides the presence of computers behind it, making it more difficult for potential intruders to find and attack them.

Hardware firewalls can be effective with little or no configuration. Typically found in broadband routers, these are considered an important part of system and network set-up, especially for anyone on a broadband connection. Software firewalls can be installed on your computer, allowing you to customize how they function and help protect your computer.

You should use both a hardware firewall and a software firewall on your own computer at all times- especially if you are using always-on broadband Internet access, because your computer is always connected to the Internet and that means you are constantly exposed to attacks from hackers and worms.

ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE

Antivirus software is designed to identify and eliminate viruses from your computer. It does this by monitoring any unusual changes or attempts to copy data from one program to another, and then compares these to known viruses. Antivirus software helps protect your computer from any malicious code you may have downloaded accidentally; however, it will not protect you from hackers attempting to access your computer remotely- for that you need a firewall.

To make sure antivirus is effective, you need to update your antivirus software regularly. Just having antivirus software on your computer isn’t enough. You should also keep it updated so that your computer can recognize new viruses, because they are constantly being created.

ANTI-SPYWARE SOFTWARE

Spyware is software that is used to “spy” on your computer. It gives people the ability to see what you are doing and it can adversely affect your computer’s performance. Anti-spyware software is software that scans your computer to detect and remove spyware. Anti-spyware software helps protect your computer from spyware you may have downloaded accidentally; however, it will not protect your computer from viruses – for that you need antivirus software.

ANTI-SPAM SOFTWARE

Many Internet scams today involve email messages that appear to come from a trusted source, but are in fact not trustworthy. Additionally, email attachments can be harmful because they can contain viruses. Anti-spam software is software that scans your email to detect and remove spam. It helps protect you by reducing the likelihood that you’ll fall prey to forged messages and bogus offers; however, it will not protect your computer from viruses- for that you need antivirus software.

Check your site and browser settings

Computer settings like site timeouts and pop-up blockers can reduce the chances of someone hacking into your computer.

REVIEW PAGE TIMEOUT

To protect your account, the review page you see after placing an order will time out after 90 seconds, unless you have enabled express trading. To remove this default time limit, log on to your account and go to Client Service > My Profile > General. Locate the Review Page Timeout Settings in the Web Site section of the page to change your settings.

EMPTYING BROWSER CACHE

Your cache is a location on your hard drive where Web information is temporarily stored. When it is stored, it allows your browser to quickly re-load Web pages. While this helps your computer display Web pages faster, it also stores information about what you’ve been seeing on your screen- which might include personal and/or financial information. It’s therefore a good idea to empty (or clear) your cache regularly so that this information isn’t readily available to hackers.

SAFELY ACCEPTING COOKIES

Cookies are small pieces of data that go between servers and web browsers to track information about users. You must choose to accept cookies from www.amidfinancialcentre.com in order to use our secure Web site. AMID FINANCIAL CENTRE cookies DO NOT contain any personal information. You can configure your computer to accept specific cookies- i.e. AMID FINANCIAL CENTRE cookies.

USING POP-UP BLOCKERS

Pop-up blockers are software programs that keep advertisements and new windows from popping up on your computer screen. Although usually just aggravating, some pop-ups display inappropriate content, while others can be dangerous to your system.

Using a pop-up blocker reduces the potentially harmful threats. For maximum safety, consider changing your pop-up blocker to the highest possible level. But please recognize that our site does contain pop-ups so you’ll have to account for this.

In order to view all information on the site- including most forms, results for the symbols and quotes you look upyou must do one of two things: add the AMID FINANCIAL CENTRE Web site to your list of “trusted” sites, or disable your pop-up blocker while you’re on this site. Adding the AMID FINANCIAL CENTRE site to your list of trusted ones will allow pop-up windows only from this site (and any other sites on your list).

Many browsers, toolbars, and Internet service providers (ISPs) include pop-up blockers as part of their service, so you may have one operating on your computer without realizing it. Check your pop-up settings to help make sure you’re safe, and add AMID FINANCIAL CENTRE to your trusted sites.

Be sure you meet our minimum requirements

Learn about our minimum operating system requirements, browser requirements, and display settings for amidfinancialcenter.com

OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

PC: Windows® 7 or later
Macintosh®: Mac OS® 10.5 or late

BROWSER REQUIREMENTS

PC: Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 or later,, Chrome 18 or later
Macintosh®: Safari™ 5.0 or later, Firefox 3.6 or later, Chrome 18 or later

DISPLAY SETTINGS

This Web site is designed for a minimum resolution of 1024 x 768 and for a color depth of 16K.
If you’re using a PC, to change the color depth or resolution, go to Control Panel, select Display, and choose Settings.
If you’re using a Macintosh with OS X, go to System Preferences and choose Displays.

POP-UP WINDOWS

This Web site utilizes pop-up windows. If you use a pop-up blocker, you can still trade and access most site features. To view all information on the site, including most forms and look up results for symbols and quotes, you must disable your pop-up blocker.

Check your browser for pop-up blockers and follow instructions for allowing pop-ups.

PDFS

This web site requires Adobe Reader 4.0 or later to read PDFs.

The In’s and Out’s of Online Safety

Use these tips to help make the time you spend on amidfinancialcenter.com safe and secure.

GENERAL SAFETY TIPS

What should you be aware of when it comes to online safety? First, follow these guidelines:

  • Don’t share your UserID or password with anyone, and don’t write it down. If you share your password with a third party, you assume responsibility for their actions. Be extremely cautious about using aggregation services, as you’re sharing your UserID and password with a third party.
  • Avoid accessing your account from public computers in Internet cafes, libraries, hotels, etc.-they can be accessed by malicious users who may have installed software in them to record your keystrokes. If you must use a public computer, make sure it is from a reputable provider.
  • When you are finished accessing your account, always log off and close your browser.

AVOID EMAIL FRAUD

Email can be a source of danger. Many Internet scams today involve email messages that appear to come from a trusted source, but are not trustworthy. Additionally, email attachments can be harmful because they can contain viruses.

The following can be indications that an email is fake:

  • The email claims to be from a legitimate company requesting that you change your password by clicking on a link. It may even threaten to suspend your account if you do not do this.
  • The email claims to be from a person in authority requesting a copy of a password file, UserID, passport or Social Security number, or banking information.
  • The email asks you to verify your account information by clicking on a link and filling in a form.

Right click on the link in the email and select properties. If the section under URL Address contains an ‘@’ symbol or does not appear to be a AMID Financial Centre.com address then it is likely fraudulent. Examples of this are below (try right-clicking on these links and check the Web addresses that appear below).
amidfinancialcenter.com

Here are some ways to protect yourself from email fraud:

  • Do not reply to any email asking for personal information.
  • Use antivirus software and keep it updated. Scan all attachments with an anti-virus software program before downloading.
  • Do not visit links sent by email as these can lead to phishing sites-sites made to look legitimate and designed to collect your personal information. One way to avoid this is to enter the URL into your browser instead of clicking the link.
  • Do not open or reply to spam email which can prompt more spam to be sent to your inbox.
  • Turn off the “preview pane,” as this allows some viruses to be executed even if you never actually open the email.
  • Report suspicious email to AMID FINANCIAL CENTRE.

BEWARE OF STOCK SPAM

Online investors should be aware of stock spam, part of a common Internet fraud involving a “pump and dump” scheme. In other words, a company might be promoted and recommended as the latest hot stock in chat rooms, supposedly unbiased newsletters, or even in its own press releases. Unwitting investors purchase the stock, creating high demand and inflating its price. Then those who are behind the scheme sell their shares at the peak, stop the hype, and the stock price plummets-causing regular investors to lose money.

To protect yourself, always do your research before you invest:

  • Consider the source. Be skeptical. People touting a stock may well be individuals who stand to profit.
  • Verify information. Making grand claims is easy for a company to do. Before you invest, be sure to independently verify those claims. When you see an offer in an email or on the Internet, assume it’s a scam unless your own research proves it’s legitimate.
  • Know where the stock trades. Many of the smallest and most thinly traded stocks trade in the over-the-counter market (OTC Bulletin Board or Pink Sheets). This is because they don’t meet the listing requirements of NASDAQ or NYSE. They’re the most susceptible to manipulation, and therefore the most likely to be the focus of a spam scam.

CREATE SECURE PASSWORDS

Choosing your password well and keeping it a secret can be key steps to safeguarding all of your online transactions. To create a password that is more difficult to guess, use a combination of letters and numbers for passwords you create (i.e. 4funcallC3po, Il9vemyd1g). Certain passwords are easier to compromise, so try to avoid common pitfalls by creating secure passwords:

  • Don’t base your password on personal information-such as the name of your pet or your company.
  • Don’t use a word found in the dictionary as your password.
  • Avoid substituting numbers for letters, for example: using a zero for the letter “o” or a one for the letter “i.” These substitutions are well known and predictable.
  • Don’t use your UserID as your password.
  • Don’t use simple number sequences like “12345” or a series of duplicate numbers like “11111.”
  • Change your password frequently, and don’t “recycle” a password you’ve used somewhere else.

PROTECT YOUR COMPUTER & NETWORK

Protect your home computer against new viruses or other attacks with anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and configure all software for automatic updates. The anti-virus and anti-spyware software included in operating systems require frequent updates to keep pace with new risks. Security software included with new computers generally requires a subscription for protection to continue. Need to upgrade your security products? Go to security products.
Use the latest version of your web browser. Strong encryption protects your information as it travels over the Internet. Older web browsers may not support the highest strength 128-bit encryption.

Do not allow software to be loaded on your computer if you’re not completely familiar with it. If you share your PC with anyone, including your children, make sure they know the rules for downloading and installing software.

Install a hardware- or software-based firewall. A firewall controls how information moves between a computer and a network to help ensure that only legitimate traffic takes place, and hides the presence of computers behind it to make it more difficult for potential intruders to find them.

PROTECT YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK

Use of a wireless network presents several security concerns. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is the standard encryption that wireless devices use. If your wireless network supports WPA or WPA2 you should select that option rather than WEP.

Because this encryption can be breached, make sure you take these steps:

  • Change the administrator password. After you remove your WiFi router out of the box, you’ll be prompted to log into it through a web page using a specified username and password. That username and password is identical for all models of your router-an open invitation to hackers because these common passwords are published by numerous sites. See above for information on creating secure passwords.
  • Change the default Service Set Identifier (SSID). The manufacturer of your router sets all their routers to the same SSID, for examples “default” or “Linksys.” While the SSID doesn’t allow hackers to get it, a default setting often signals them that the owner hasn’t taken the proper security precautions. You can change this setting in the setup page of your router.
  • Only access personal information through Web sites that use Secure Sockets Layers (SSL).
  • Disable file and printer sharing capabilities when you’re connected to a public wireless network.
  • If you doubt the security of an open wireless network, don’t use it-shut off wireless connectivity or remove the wireless network card. If you leave your computer unattended, disable the wireless mode to prohibit networks that you didn’t create from using your wireless software.